[C320-list] Battery Combiner

[Jeff Church 387]

Jeff,

As always, thanks for the great info.

Did you change the combined and/or overvoltage settings or just use the 
factory defaults which are 13.5v and 15v respectively?

Jeff



Jeff Hare wrote:
> Hey Jeff,
>
>   I like the price/versatility of the Blue Sea CL-series ACR unit,
> personally.  It has current limiting (~60 Amps?) and lets you adjust the
> cut-in / cut-out voltages, allows for a manual override switch if you want
> one and has a built in driver for a remote LED to show when batteries are
> joined. 
>
> I picked mine up at West Marine for $75 and then applied a boat show
> discount coupon.
> 	 
> Some things to consider regarding current limiting and starting batteries:
>
> 1) Pretty quickly (within minutes) after you start charging your house bank,
> the batteries will begin to accept less current anyway, so I from our
> experience, it doesn't really affect bulk charging in any noticeable way.   
>
> 2) Unless the starting battery is weak, it's not going to draw much charging
> current for any length of time anyway, so the current limiting wouldn't come
> into play except in extreme situations.  It might draw 10-15 amps for a
> couple minutes, but starting batteries recharge really fast and don't
> typically get drawn down hardly at all if just used for starting.
>
>  I installed a starting battery with the CL-ACR in a C380 2 years ago and
> went with the Exide orbital AGM because it's a pretty indestructible AGM
> battery with really high starting currents for about $110.  (That, and the
> 380 had a screwed down floor panel for accessing the starting battery
> compartment making it inconvenient to check water levels in a flooded
> battery.)  :)
>
> On the bonus side, It can also be wired as an automatic low voltage
> disconnect for loads under ~50 amps.  I have a second one that I plan to
> mount behind the electrical panel that will disconnect the fridge if the
> house bank drops below some voltage that I choose.  That will prevent my
> batteries from being drawn down if my shore power breaker gets popped or I
> forget to turn on the shore power charger when getting back at the dock.. :)
>
>
> Should something happen to the starting battery ACR underway, I'd have a
> spare I could use quite easily.
>
> http://bluesea.com/productline/overview/386
>
> -Jeff
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com
> [mailto:c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com] On Behalf Of Jeff Church
> 387
> Sent: Monday, March 02, 2009 7:48 PM
> To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
> Subject: [C320-list] Battery Combiner
>
> Jeff
>
> We may have discussed this a few years ago. I'm going to install a 
> starting battery in my 387 and I need a recommendation. I'm looking at 
> various battery combiners such as Blue Sea's Battery Link and the 
> Xantrex Echo Charger. The Echo Charger seems to have the advantage of 
> limiting current to the starting battery when the battery charger is in 
> bulk mode. Do You have a preference or recommendation?
>
> Thanks
>
> Jeff Church
>
>
>